


Which Colour, Though?

by Cumberbatch Critter (ivelostmyspectacles)



Category: Houdini & Doyle (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Flirting, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2016-08-13
Packaged: 2018-08-08 10:41:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7754530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivelostmyspectacles/pseuds/Cumberbatch%20Critter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adelaide works part-time at the local flower shop, and by God, this Houdini fellow buys a bunch of flowers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Which Colour, Though?

**Author's Note:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> **Prompt: You buy a weird amount of flowers and I'm concerned as to why.[x](http://nerds-are-cool.tumblr.com/post/133544218971)**
> 
>  I do not own _Houdini & Doyle _. Thanks for reading~

He was a regular.

Adelaide wondered why. He rarely bought the same things, although they did have a common thread. Gardenias, honeysuckle, roses, tulips, carnations. She worked in a flower shop and there were two main emotions that her patrons often expressed: sympathy, and love. A bouquet of red roses did not express sympathy.

She was _really_ curious why this Mr Houdini kept buying so many flowers that expressed some variation of love and romance. Did he have a girl that he so often professed his love to? Did he had a girl that he was trying to apologise to? Was he crushing after a girl? Or did he have _multiple_ girls?

It wasn't any of her business, but she could only prepare so many bouquets each week without _wondering._ A little.

"Hello, Mr Houdini."

"Call me Houdini. I told you, I insist," he said, leaning his arms against the countertop, "I'm here enough! Plus, I know your first name, Adelaide." His eyes dropped to her nametag, and Adelaide smiled politely.

"So we do," she said. "What can we get you today?"

"Right to business, okay." Houdini's eyes bounced around the selection. He didn't need to look, Adelaide was sure. He probably knew as much about these flowers as Adelaide did, at this point. "Forget me nots, gladiolus, and lily of the valley, I think." Adelaide must have made a face of surprise, because Houdini laughed and leaned back. "Yeah, different than my usual, huh? All three of those... they're my mom's favourites."

 _Oh._ "That's sweet." Adelaide stepped away from the counter, joining her regular customer on the shop floor. She led the way to the selection of flowers that he had inquired after.

"And surprising, right?" Adelaide paused to protest, but Houdini went on, "I can see it in your face. It's okay," he said, "I buy a lot of _romantic_ flowers."

Was she that obvious? She _was_ curious, but she wouldn't pry into his personal affairs. Whatever reason he was buying romantic flowers was none of her business. And, well... he seemed like a flirt. He _was_ a flirt. Adelaide thought that she could imagine why he bought so many romantic flowers - he did not seem the type to settle down - and then wondered if that was unfair of her to think. Probably.

"Being charming is kind of a past time," Houdini joked (or was he?) as he stepped forward to pick a bunch of forget-me-nots from the shelf. "I _do_ do other things besides flirt, though."

He was unashamedly reaffirming the thought that Adelaide had that he was buying all these flowers to flirt with women. Either that, or she was taking it the wrong way. But Houdini sure sounded like he _was_ unashamedly saying that.

"I'm sure you do," Adelaide said shortly.

"I buy flowers for Ma. That's a good thing, right?" Houdini's smile was too bright, so carefree. Those eyes, that hair... if you had it to flaunt, Adelaide supposed... maybe she could understand how he _could_ flirt with so many people and not get a black eye for it.

"So how many flowers do you get?" Houdini continued.

Adelaide blinked back to reality. "Pardon?"

"Flowers. Bouquets." Houdini gestured to the shop around them. "Where's the lily of the valley, again?"

"Over here." Adelaide wound around a display of brightly coloured crazy daisies, Houdini dogging her steps. "And I'm afraid I don't get bouquets of flowers, unless I buy them for myself."

"No one's buying you flowers? Well, that's a waste." Houdini made a little noise, a _huh_ of surprise. "I'd buy you flowers."

The smile was creeping back onto her face, if only just. "Are you trying to charm _me_ now?" she teased, glancing over her shoulder. "I don't need a bouquet of red roses for pity, Mr Houdini."

"Houdini- _Harry_ , even, please."

"Houdini." She didn't know him. She wouldn't call him ‘Harry’. And she suspected that if she did, it would only egg him on further. The attention was flattering, but unnecessary. She did not want his pity, however good intentioned (or not so) it might have been.

Houdini picked another bunch of the small flowers from the shelf, tucking them up next to the others he held. "I didn't say I would buy you red roses."

She couldn't help herself. "Oh? What _would_ you buy me, then?"

Houdini hummed softly in thought, turning to size her up. Adelaide crossed her arms with the smile growing, and waited for his response. "Orange roses for fascination. Heather for admiration and beauty. Orchids, ranunculus, and..." He narrowed his eyes, and then smiled, just the twitch of the corner of his lips. "... tulips." He lifted his chin and tore his gaze from hers. "I think this will do," he said, gesturing to the flowers in his hand that he had picked out for his mother. And then he turned and strode back to the counter without further explanation.

 _What_ colour _of tulips???_ Adelaide wanted to demand.

She did not. _That_ would also egg him on. She knew that he wanted her to ask, and she knew that he knew that _she_ knew. Houdini was a smartarse. A charming flirt of a smartarse with pretty eyes and a penchant to buy flowers.

Adelaide rearranged the flowers into their bouquet, and rang Houdini up without prompting the dropped conversation. "There you go. I'm sure your Mother will love them."

"She will."

A short laugh bubbled from Adelaide's lips and she handed Houdini the receipt. "Thanks for your business. I imagine I'll see you again?"

"Why?" The grin was back. "Do you _want_ to?"

The flirting, God help all the women in the town. "I just said," Adelaide said patiently, "that I imagined I would, since you're in here often enough."

"Probably," Houdini agreed. "Well, _I'll_ be looking forward to it, even if you're not." He winked and whisked the bouquet from the countertop.

Adelaide watched him go with a sense of equal parts unease and equal parts amusement. Why did she suddenly feel like, since he had had an actual conversation with her this time, he was trouble? He _seemed_ harmless enough, though - for now - save turning his charm on _her_. There was no way that she would ever give into said charm, but he was entertaining, and a regular customer was better than no customers at all.

(Especially one that was so nice looking.)

Adelaide chuckled to herself and scrubbed her hands on her apron. Enough daydreaming. She had work to do.

 

**Author's Note:**

> ~~and you know he's partly coming in all the time bc he thinks addie's cute too don't front with me harry~~


End file.
